Iris DF 'Natural' Slope Shoulder Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

The Iris DF is a slope-shouldered dreadnought of genuine character and pedigree - a guitar named after Iris co-founder Dale Fairbanks and modelled closely after the depression-era instruments coming out of Kalamazoo in the mid-to-late 1930s, built in Burlington, Vermont with the kind of considered, historically-informed craftsmanship that has made Iris Guitar Company one of the most respected small production acoustic guitar makers in the United States. Leo Kottke's response upon playing his DF - "I've been searching for that sound since high school, I can't stop thinking about it" - says more about what this guitar delivers than any technical description could. The slope-shouldered dreadnought format sits apart from the squared-shoulder dreadnought tradition in a way that is immediately apparent both visually and tonally - warmer, more focused in the midrange, with a grit, funk, and organic warmth that recalls the finest pre-war American acoustic guitar making.

The Sitka spruce top with scalloped Adirondack spruce bracing is the defining acoustic engine - Adirondack's natural stiffness and tonal liveliness pushing the Sitka top to perform with exceptional dynamic range and response, while mahogany back and sides contribute the warm, focused midrange depth and controlled low end that complements the slope-shoulder format perfectly. This example is finished with a natural top and block logo headstock inlay - a clean, understated visual specification that lets the tonewood character and body shape do the talking. Open-pore natural satin nitrocellulose finish, bolt-on mortise and tenon neck joint, Indian rosewood fingerboard and bar bridge, bone nut and saddle, vintage style brass open-back tuners with cream knobs, and a TKL hardshell case complete a specification that is as deliberately considered as the instrument's historical inspiration.

Features

• Sitka spruce top with scalloped Adirondack spruce bracing delivers exceptional dynamic range and tonal liveliness - Adirondack's natural stiffness pushing the top to respond with the grit, immediacy, and organic warmth of the finest pre-war American acoustic guitars.
• Slope-shouldered dreadnought body modelled on depression-era Kalamazoo instruments produces a warm, focused, and characterful acoustic voice with a distinctive midrange grit and funk that sets it apart from standard squared-shoulder dreadnoughts.
• Open-pore natural satin nitrocellulose finish allows the spruce top and mahogany body to resonate with maximum freedom - contributing to the DF's characteristically open, natural, and immediately responsive acoustic voice.
• Bolt-on mortise and tenon neck joint provides excellent tonal coupling and long-term playability consistency, while Indian rosewood fingerboard and bar bridge, 25" scale length, and 1-11/16" nut width deliver a comfortable and precise playing feel.
• Vintage style brass open-back tuners with cream knobs, block logo headstock inlay, tortoise binding and pickguard, and black/white/black top purfling and rosette reflect a period-correct visual appointment scheme of genuine historical coherence.

• Model: Iris DF
• Builder: Iris Guitar Company, Burlington, Vermont
• Body: Slope-shouldered dreadnought
• Body length: 20-1/4"
• Total length: 40-7/8"
• Lower bout: 16-1/4"
• Upper bout: 11-1/2"
• Waist: 10-1/8"
• Depth: 4-11/16"
• Top: Sitka spruce, natural
• Back & sides: Mahogany
• Bracing: Scalloped Adirondack spruce
• Neck joint: Bolt-on mortise and tenon
• Fingerboard: Indian rosewood, 16" radius
• Bridge: Indian rosewood bar bridge
• Bridge spacing: 2-7/32"
• Nut: Bone, 1-11/16"
• Saddle: Bone
• Scale length: 25"
• Headstock inlay: Block logo
• Top purfling: Black/white/black
• Rosette: Black/white/black
• Binding: Tortoise
• Pickguard: Tortoise
• Bridge pins: Off-white plastic
• Tuners: Vintage style brass open-back with cream knobs
• Finish: Open-pore natural satin nitrocellulose
• Strings: D'Addario XS Coated Light gauge
• Includes: TKL hardshell case
• Made in: USA (Burlington, Vermont)